Friday, May 27, 2011

05/27 (Heat Like Whoa) Quickie

Whoa. That's the only reaction to last night's close-out by the Heat to dispatch the Bulls in 5 games and advance to the NBA Finals.

If the earlier wins in the conference finals -- or that first win in Boston that effectively ended the Celtics' chances -- were the teaser, the final three minutes of last night's game were the Heat's jaw-dropping potential, fully realized.

LeBron, dominant on both offense and defense. Wade, supremely effective. And even Bosh, with the quietest 20 and 10 you'll see.

This is it -- the arrival. Or, more accurately, the Arrival.

Because barring a Mavs win in the Finals -- and they certainly seem like they could pull it off -- we have entered the Heat dynasty. Lament as you see fit.

About that entirely tantalizing Heat-Mavs Finals, I am waiting for the moment when the Heat switches Bosh off of Dirk and lets LeBron guard Dirk, the same way he guarded Rose. As unstoppable as Dirk has been this spring, LeBron seems like he could be the one to contain him.

Like many, I'm rooting for the Mavs, both because of the "Anyone But the Heat" factor and because I have come around to appreciate the aging, last-chance storyline from Dallas (not to mention appreciating the way they mowed down the West). But I'm saying Miami in 7.

More on the radar:

*Second-day Buster Posey reactions: People applauding him for blocking the plate (even if he wasn't really blocking the plate) are the same ones applauding the football players who "just shake it off" when they get a concussion. Catchers should stay the hell out of the way -- and baserunners should be ejected for initiating contact with catchers. The bigger point is that Posey needs to move to first base.

*Ohio State scandal, cont'd: It's so clear that the athletic department was actively delinquent in their "investigation" that I have to wonder if you can apply "lack of institutional control" to the Athletic Director himself.

*This weekend: Barca-Man. U in the Champions League final tomorrow afternoon. Even if you don't like soccer, well worth tuning in for. Barca is playing just about as well as any club team has ever played.

*Indy 500: Another event where I don't care much about the sport, but I will tune in for the pageantry and excitement of the event itself.

*Love the sale of 20% of the Mets to David Einhorn, basically a rich fan. It's important for those last two words -- he's rich, meaning he can/will buy the other 80% (or at least 31%) when the Wilpons finally crumble under the weight of the Madoff problems. And he's a fan -- a Mets fan -- meaning he will care deeply about the team and want it to succeed. Best news for Mets fans since they made the NLCS half a decade ago.

*So funny that USC is shocked -- shocked! -- that the NCAA denied the appeal that the program was corrupted during the Reggie Bush scandal.

*Caroline Wozniacki out at the French Open: The French has always been a quirky tournament, but this is a stunning exit for the world No. 1. Wasn't even close.

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DanShanoff.com is a sports-blog spin-off of my long-time ESPN.com column, "The Daily Quickie." Anchored by an early-morning post of must-know topics, the blog is updated frequently throughout the day with new posts and user comments.